KEY POINTS:
Snarlers. They are just one of life's basic non-negotiables like lipstick, sex and shelter. New Zealand is a nation of sausage-lovers with 31.5 per cent of us indulging at least once a week.
Aucklanders alone eat an estimated 50.8 million sausages a year but most people agree
that South Islanders make the best ones.
The secret to making a good sausage, like a good terrine, is in the perfect combination of meat, fat and salt.
In my opinion sausages should be coarsely minced, not finely, they should have a bit of fat, some onions or shallots, maybe some spices and herbs if you want, and crispy skins made from gut.
The use of nitrite in sausages should be encouraged as it makes them safe to eat and makes them a more attractive shade of pink.
They should have no other additives or breadcrumbs (or not too many) and you can make them from anything you like - chicken, fish, seafood, vegetables, offal, pork, beef and lamb.
You can make your own at home - just shape them and roll them in breadcrumbs if you can't be bothered fussing with gut and a stuffing machine.
New Zealand has many good sausage-makers. Some make organic sausages - you just have to ask around.
A good sausage comes from a good butcher and to be a good butcher is an art which should be supported by all of us.
A good butcher buys good meat, treats it with respect, cuts it into joints that are attractive and useful, and wastes nothing.
A good butcher doesn't pre-package the meat or cover it in plastic, and doesn't disguise it in ghastly sauces and terrifying marinades. He hangs his meat properly, is helpful when you ask for something different, and labels the product carefully with as much information as possible.
He should have a fabulous personality, love his job, and call you every time he makes a new sausage he thinks you need to experiment with.
One of my favourites of the snarler type are the long, peppery cumberland sausages, which are great when baked and served with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Italian pork and fennel sausages are heavenly. Blanch them for a few minutes then fry or grill. Cotechino sausages are made from pork and pork rind, giving them a gelatinous texture. They are flavoured with cloves and cinnamon. These need to be simmered for at least two hours but it's worth the trouble.
A combination of these three or more - on a large platter in the middle of the table - is the best thing to happen to any group of people.
Sausages love holding hands with Dijon mustard and warm, sliced potatoes drizzled with olive oil and finely chopped shallots.
The traditional recipe I have given here for pork, sausages and white beans is generous, unpretentious and utterly delicious.
- Detours, HoS